*Breaking News*

I'm willing to bet that my dearth of posts lately have made people reluctant to even check for updates, as they figure there probably aren't any. My apologies to my 4 loyal readers. Anyways, I was spending some time making a decision about a job offer from Plante & Moran. After much much much over-thinking, I have accepted the offer. That's that. Life goes on. Since this blog is about exercise and fitness and health, I won't burden this post with all that was going on. Suffice to say I am nervous but excited about the opportunities ahead of me!

Now my next decision is if I should run in the Turkey Trot and if I can convince Sharon or Alissa to accompany me.

Running in the fall

I do love summer and I think everyone knows that about me. I love going to the lakes, wearing my bathing suit, sitting on a boat and baking under the deadly heat of a blazing sun. If I could have one permanent season, I'm sure it would be a hot and humid and sunny summer. That does not mean that I don't find value in the other seasons. In fact as much as I enjoy summer, I think I run less because I'm already outside doing other things. Fall seems to provide perfect running temperatures. And with the dry heat being turned on indoors, that cooler crisp air is refreshing and welcoming. On Wednesday I managed to get outside while there was a break in the rain and the temp was about 60 degrees. I had a wonderful run. I strapped on the iPod, ran through 13 songs and, at my pace, figured that to be about three miles. It was everything I think an enjoyable run should be: unhurried, relaxing, adventurous, challenging and peaceful. I can't wait for my next opportunity.

The weather was absolutely perfect for autumn this past weekend. I went with Jason and his family to their cottage at Canadian Lakes and we were undeniably blessed with warm air, paprika and goldenrod and honey-colored leaves, clear skies and vast amounts of sunshine. We took advantage of this perfect fall confluence and spent over an hour hiking through trails on Saturday afternoon. On Sunday I managed to get away for a three mile run. I couldn't believe how unprepared I was for the fact that it was actually hot that afternoon. I wish Michigan's fall season would always be this grand.

Suds in the bucket

Disclaimer: Very country.
I'm into this song right now for running. I think it's a sweet story.

Find more videos like this on www.truveo.com.

Cold kicking it.

After having not engaged in any working out last week (due to a variety of factors), I worked up the energy on Friday. I ran 3 miles in the neighborhood around my house. I felt great. I was completely caught up in the rhythm of my movements. I had some kicking songs to motivate me. The day boasted perfect weather. I thought that maybe I was seeing the end of this cold (or whatever it is) that's been bothering me. I feel fine for the most part, I'm just going through kleenux like mad and coughing too. We'll see how this week goes.

Just a walk in the park...

This past weekend I visited my parents in Grand Rapids. My dad signed up to walk the half marathon in the Detroit Free Press races in October. He is very excited about it. He's going to walk with a good buddy of his. I hope the weather is as nice for them as it was in 2007 when I ran (err, hobbled) the entire 13 miles. He's getting himself ready by walking to and back from work (about 3 miles each way). On the weekend he goes for longer walks and alternates in short spurts of running. As you can imagine, I got suckered into going out with him last Saturday. I went to bed so early and slept so well that I woke up refreshed by about 8am---a totally rare occurrence. Anyways, the air was warm, the sun was bright and we had a nice route through Calvin college. We were gone for about 90 minutes. We tried scurrying down some tight dirt paths with brambles and mud. We found a way to cut over to Lake Drive instead of staying on the high traffic road. It was a fabulous start to the day! This picture was taken by my mom when we got back home :)